Universal joint with bearing cup retention thrust washer

Abstract

A universal joint includes a pair of bifurcated yokes interconnected by a cruciform. The cruciform includes four orthogonal trunnions each including a lubricant passage. A thrust washer engages a portion of the trunnion to retain a bearing assembly on each trunnion.

1. A universal joint comprising:
 a yoke including a leg having an aperture extending therethrough; 
 a cruciform having a trunnion, said trunnion including a substantially cylindrical portion having an outer substantially cylindrical surface and an end face; 
 a bearing rotatably positioned on said substantially cylindrical portion; and 
 a thrust washer having a substantially planar disk segment, a flange circumscribing said disk segment and an annular ring extending radially inwardly from an inner surface of said flange, said inner surface of said flange partially enveloping said substantially cylindrical portion and said annular ring being positioned within an annular groove formed on said outer substantially cylindrical surface of said trunnion to retain said bearing on said trunnion. 
 
   
   
     2. The universal joint of  claim 1  wherein said trunnion includes a lubricant passage extending at least partially through said trunnion in communication with said end face. 
   
   
     3. The universal joint of  claim 2  wherein said thrust washer includes an aperture extending through said disk segment, said aperture being in communication with said lubricant passage. 
   
   
     4. The universal joint of  claim 3  wherein said disk segment includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart grooves extending from said thrust washer aperture. 
   
   
     5. The universal joint of  claim 4  wherein said disk segment includes a plurality of dimples positioned in said disk segment between said grooves, said dimples being operable to retain lubricant between said thrust washer and said trunnion. 
   
   
     6. The universal joint of  claim 1  wherein said flange of said thrust washer includes an annular end face engaging an end of said bearing. 
   
   
     7. The universal joint of  claim 1  wherein said flange is resilient and said annular ring is biasedly engaged with said outer substantially cylindrical surface during installation of said thrust washer. 
   
   
     8. The universal joint of  claim 1  further including a bearing cup encompassing said thrust washer and said bearing, said bearing cup being positioned within said yoke aperture. 
   
   
     9. A universal joint comprising:
 a cruciform having a trunnion with a groove; 
 a bearing cup encompassing a portion of said trunnion including said groove; 
 a bearing positioned within said bearing cup and rotatably positioned on said trunnion; and 
 a thrust washer positioned within said bearing cup, said thrust washer including a disk segment surrounded by a cylindrical wall segment, said thrust washer also including a protrusion radially inwardly extending from said cylindrical wall segment, said protrusion being positioned within said groove to retain said bearing on said trunnion. 
 
   
   
     10. The universal joint of  claim 9  wherein said groove is formed on a substantially cylindrically shaped portion of said trunnion spaced apart from an end face of said trunnion. 
   
   
     11. The universal joint of  claim 10  wherein said protrusion engages said groove in a snap-fit arrangement. 
   
   
     12. The universal joint of  claim 11  wherein said protrusion of said thrust washer is shaped as an annular ring. 
   
   
     13. The universal joint of  claim 12  wherein said annular ring substantially fills said groove. 
   
   
     14. A universal joint comprising:
 a first shaft rotatable about a first axis; 
 a second shaft being rotatable about a second axis not coaxially aligned with said first axis, said second shaft including a yoke with two spaced apart legs, each leg having an aperture extending therethrough; 
 a cruciform having trunnions, each trunnion including an end portion having an end face; 
 a bearing rotatably positioned on one of said trunnions; and 
 a thrust washer having a substantially planar disk segment and a circumferential flange, said disk segment engaging a majority of said end face of said one trunnion, said circumferential flange including an inner surface having an annular ring protruding inwardly therefrom, said annular ring being positioned within an annular groove formed on said end portion of said one trunnion. 
 
   
   
     15. The universal joint of  claim 14  wherein said end portion of said one trunnion has an outer diameter equal to an outer diameter of the trunnion where said bearing is positioned. 
   
   
     16. The universal joint of  claim 14  wherein said end portion is substantially shaped as a right circular cylinder. 
   
   
     17. The universal joint of  claim 14  wherein said circumferential flange terminates at a surface adjacent an end face of said bearing. 
   
   
     18. A universal joint comprising:
 a first shaft rotatable about a first axis; 
 a second shaft being rotatable about a second axis not coaxially aligned with said first axis, said second shaft including a yoke with two spaced apart legs, each leg having an aperture extending therethrough; 
 a cruciform having trunnions, one of said trunnions having an end face and a groove offset from said end face; 
 a bearing cup having a hollow circular cylindrical side wall enclosed by an end wall, said bearing cup encompassing said end face and said groove; 
 a bearing positioned within said bearing cup and rotatably positioned on said one trunnion; and 
 a thrust washer positioned within said bearing cup in engagement with said end wall, said thrust washer including a cylindrical wall segment capped by a disk segment, said cylindrical wall segment defining an outer diameter of said thrust washer, said thrust washer also including a protrusion radially inwardly extending from said cylindrical wall segment, said protrusion being positioned within said groove to retain said bearing on said one trunnion. 
 
   
   
     19. The universal joint of  claim 18  wherein said groove is axially positioned between two substantially cylindrically shaped portions of said one trunnion having the same outer diameter.